Act 1, Scene 3

Summary

1PageBassanio seeks out Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, for a loan of threethousand ducats on the strength of Antonio's credit. Shylock is hesitantabout lending Bassanio the money. He knows for a fact that Antonio isa rich man, but he also knows that all of Antonio's money is invested inhis merchant fleet. At the present time, Antonio's ships are bound fordistant places, and therefore vulnerable to many perils at sea. Yet hesays finally, "I think I may take his bond." He refuses Bassanio'sinvitation to dinner, however; he will do business with Christians, but itis against his principles to eat with them.

When Antonio suddenly appears, Shylock (in an aside) expresses

contempt for him, saying that he hates Antonio because he is aChristian, but more important, he hates Antonio because Antonio lendsmoney to people without charging interest; moreover,Antoniopublicly condemns Shylock for charging excessive interest inhis moneylending business. Finally, though, Shylock agrees to lendBassanio the three thousand ducats. Antonio then says that he as arule never lends nor borrows money by taking or giving interest. Yetbecause of his friend Bassanio's pressing need, Antonio is willing tobreak this rule. The term of the loan will be for three months, andAntonio will give his bond as security.

While Bassanio and Antonio are waiting to learn the rate of interestwhich Shylock will charge for the loan, Shylock digresses. He tells themabout the biblical story of how Jacob increased his herd of sheep. Hecalculates the interest which he will charge and announces: "Threemonths from twelve; then, let me see; the rate." Shylock then accusesAntonio of having repeatedly spit upon him and called him a dog. Andnow Antonio and Bassanio come asking him for money. Yet they pridethemselves that Antonio is a virtuous man because he lends money tofriends, with no interest involved. Is this loan, Shylock inquires, a loanto be arranged among "friends"? On the contrary; this is not to beregarded as a loan between friends, Antonio asserts. In fact, Antoniosays, Shylock may regard it as a loan to an enemy if he wishes. Then, Act 1, Scene 3

surprisingly, Shylock says that hewants Antonio's friendship, and to

2prove it, he will advance the loan without charging a penny of interest.

PageBut in order to make this transaction "a merry sport," Shylock wants apenalty clause providing that if Antonio fails to repay the loan withinthe specified time, Shylock will have the right to cut a "pound of flesh"from any part of Antonio's body. Bassanio objects to his friend's placinghimself in such danger for his sake, but Antonio assures him that longbefore the loan is due that some of his ships will return from abroadand that he will be able to repay the loan three times over. Shylockinsists, at this point, that the penalty is merely a jest. He could gainnothing by exacting the forfeit of a pound of human flesh, which is noteven as valuable as mutton or beef. The contract is agreed to, anddespite Bassanio's misgivings, Antonio consents to Shylock's terms.

AnalysisThis scene has two important functions. First, it completes theexposition of the two major plot lines of the play: Antonio agrees toShylock's bond three thousand ducats for a pound of flesh; andsecond, and more important dramatically, this scene introducesShylock himself. In this scene, Shakespeare makes it clear at once whyShylock is the most powerful dramatic figure in the play and why somany great actors have regarded this part as one of the mostrewarding roles in all Shakespearean dramas.

Shylock enters first; Bassanio is following him, trying to get an answer

to his request for a loan. Shylock's repetitions ("Well . . . three months .. . well") evade a direct answer to Bassanio's pleas, driving Bassanio tohis desperately impatient triple questioning in lines 7 and 8; the effecthere is similar to an impatient, pleading child badgering an adult.Throughout the whole scene, both Bassanio and Antonio often seemnaive in contrast to Shylock. Shylock has something they want money and both Antonio and Bassanio think that they should get theloan of the money, but neither one of them really understandsShylock's nature. Act 1, Scene 3

In reply to Bassanio's demand for a direct answer, Shylock still avoids

3answering straightforwardly. Shylock knows what he is doing, and he

Pageuses the time to elaborate on his meaning of "good" when applied toAntonio. Only after sufficient "haggling" does he finally reveal hisintentions: "I think I may take his bond." At Antonio's entrance, Shylockis given a lengthy aside in which he addresses himself directly to theaudience. Shakespeare often uses the devices of asides and soliloquiesto allow his heroes and, in this case, his "villain," a chance toimmediately make clear his intentions and motivations to the audience as Shylock does here.

Shylock's declaration of his hatred for Antonio immediately intensifies

the drama of the scene; the audience now waits to see in what way hewill be able to catch Antonio "upon the hip" and "feed fat the ancientgrudge I bear him." Then Shylock is called back from the front of thestage by Bassanio, and he pretends to notice Antonio for the first time.Their greeting has ironic overtones for the audience, which has justheard Shylock's opinion of Antonio. There then follows a debatebetween Antonio and Shylock on the subject of usury, or the taking ofinterest on a loan permissible for Shylock but not for Antonio,according to Antonio's moral code.

In making Shylock avoid committing himself immediately to lending

Antonio the money, Shakespeare is building a dramatic crisis. Forexample, Antonio's mounting impatience leads to increased arrogance;he compares the moneylender to the "apple rotten at the heart." Still,however, Shylock does not respond; he pretends to muse on thedetails of the loan, producing from Antonio the curt and insolentremark, "Well, Shylock, shall we be beholding to you?" Only then doesShylock begin to answer directly, and he does so with calculated calm."Signior Antonio," he says, "many a time and oft / In the Rialto youhave rated me." His words are controlled but carry a cold menace thatsilences Antonio at once. At the phrase "You call me misbeliever,cutthroat dog," Shylock reveals to us that Antonio did "void your rheumupon my beard / And foot me as you spurn a stranger cur / Over yourthreshold!" This is a vivid dramatic change, climaxing in his taunting Act 1, Scene 3

lines: "Hath a dog money? Is it possible / A cur can lend three thousand

4ducats?"

PageIn Shylock's earlier aside ("I'll hate him [Antonio] for he is a Christian"),the audience was inclined to pigeonhole Shylock as the "villain" of thisdrama; anyone who hates a man simply because he is aChristian mustlogically be a villain. Yet now, in this speech, there is much more depthand complexity; we are given a most revealing glimpse of a man whohas been a victim, whose imposition of suffering on others is directlyrelated to his own suffering. Shakespeare is manipulating usemotionally; we have to reconsider Shylock's character.

After Shylock regains control of himself and skillfully leads Antonio

toward the sealing of the bond, he says that he "would like to befriends" with Antonio. This gives him the excuse to make light of thebond, but a bond sealed "in merry sport" a bond where a pound offlesh can "be cut off and taken / In what part of your body pleasethme." Here, Shakespeare has the difficult problem of making us believethat Antonio is actually innocent enough to accept such a condition;after all, Antonio is probably fifty years old and a wealthy merchant; heis no schoolboy, and this "merry sport" of a bond is absurd. Clearly, tous, Shylock's interest is not only in money in this case, but Antoniodoes not realize this, nor does he realize or fully understand the depthof Shylock's hatred of him. He is therefore unable to be persuaded thatthis bond is dangerous. To him, the bond is merely a "merry bond." Andthus Shylock is able to rhetorically ask Bassanio: "Pray you tell me this:/ If he should break his day, what should I gain / By the exaction of theforfeiture?"

Shakespeare has set up a situation in which a man has put his life inthe hands of a moral enemy and the outcome depends on fortune that is, whether or not Antonio's merchant ships survive pirates andthe high seas. Antonio and Shylock are diametrical opposites. Shylockis cunning, cautious, and crafty; he belongs to a race which has beenpersecuted since its beginnings. As a Christian, Antonio is easy-going,trusting, slightly melancholy, romantic, and naive. Shylock trusts onlyin the tangible that is, in the bond. Antonio trusts in the intangible Act 1, Scene 3

that is, in luck. Here, Shylock seems almost paranoid and vengeful, but